Applause, Applause
by TheDarkCorner371
Summary: Everyone knew about that night, of course, including Cooler. Especially Cooler. Freeza claimed he'd found the woman unappealing, her damned chattering getting on his nerves, but his brother was no idiot... So whenever Cooler wanted to hurt him, he applauded him and Freeza felt himself dying every time.


" _Ahahaha... all hail Lord Freeza... the most miserable... wretched... AAAAAURGH!"_

" _SHUT UP! Ignorant fool! Vermin!"_

" _Anf... anf... you can hurt me all you like,_ _ **dear**_ _, but that won't change the fact that... anf...you are..._ _ **defective**_ _"_

" _Silence! There is nothing wrong with me! How dare you, you disgusting..."_

" _Disgusting? Disgusting?! I am the best Arcos has to offer! I was chosen because of that. And you can't even AAAAAAHHH!"_

" _Will. You. Shout. Your. Mouth?"_

" _Ahahaha... but of course... after such a..._ _ **fulfilling performance**_ _who would be able to talk..."_

" _I swear on the gods, if you do not quit talking now..."_

" _Oh, I will, my Lord, I will... but before... allow me to properly... honour you..."_

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

His biggest regret from that cursed night was not being able to kill her. She was the daughter of the most influential nobleman in Arcos, King Cold would have been most displeased with her termination. The insolent woman was handed over to Cooler. He was not the most ideal choice since his strength was not on par with Freeza, the King had told him in a slow, disapproving tone, but an heir had to be produced somehow and if Cooler was the only one who could complete the job, then so be it.

Everyone knew about... about that night, of course, including Cooler. Especially Cooler. Freeza claimed he'd found the woman unappealing, her damned chattering getting on his nerves, but his brother was no idiot. They'd known each other for too long and there was too much poison festering in the wounds they'd caused. So whenever Cooler wanted to hurt him, he applauded him and Freeza felt himself dying every time.

Years passed and thankfully he was not involved in any more heir-making processes. Even more years passed, his empire flourished and a Prince Vegeta came to join it. Aesthetically, the boy was pleasing, even beautiful. His hair gained a lovely shade of burgundy whenever the light happened to grace it and he moved gracefully, his petite body looking delicate instead of intimidating. Lord Freeza found himself studying him, observing his movements with interest and maybe a little bit of curiosity. Everyone noticed, apparently, and Vegeta was suddenly being avoided by all his fellow fighters; no one wanted to incite Freeza's wrath. Cooler, after the third time catching his brother watching distractedly the young man training, snidely remarked on it.

"Well, I guess we were all wrong! Maybe that was the approach we should have taken to be sure you complied!"

Freeza threw him a completely blank look, the same one his older brother had been receiving since _that subject_ had entered their lives. It enraged him.

"Oh please! Don't tell me you didn't even think once about trying it?!", he hissed venomously. "Or better yet, trying _him_?"

Freeza shook his head superciliously, looking supremely unbothered, but Cooler could see through his façade. He was uncomfortable, like he always was whenever sex was mentioned. The sound of a slow applause filled the air and Lord Freeza shut his eyes, grinding his teeth together. He did not notice Vegeta watching.

* * *

More years pass and Vegeta is there, on Earth, with an oddly cheerful smile on his face, applauding him, and Freeza _sees red_. Later, after Son Goku is blissfully decommissioned by Sorbet's deadly ring, the Arcosian tyrant manages to pin Vegeta under his body, on the ground, and not for the first time wishes he could bloody do it. Feel desire for the warm Saiyan under him, wanting to rip his clothes away and tear into him, grinding himself against him to reach a well-deserved completion. He feels nothing. It is more out of deluded rage than calculation that he forces himself between the Prince's thighs, traps his struggling ankles with his tail and forces his hands down. He's come as far as he can go, he realises with mounting desperation and fury, he cannot go further.

He wants to humiliate the Prince, just like he (she, they) humiliated him; wants the Royal to feel as confused (and scared and worthless) as he did; he wants to _hurt_ where he knows it hurts most, but he _can't_. He looks down at Vegeta, lips trembling as he tries to regain his control, and meets the Saiyan's blank stare, the one that signals Vegeta does not know what to think but is too proud to admit it. Freeza experimentally pushes down on him, sliding their cheeks together to gauge his reaction; the Prince looks utterly nonplussed and the tyrant forces back an anguished scream.

"You have a child!", he splutters at him instead. "You must know about... about this, must feel this, you must!" Vegeta studies him cautiously, subtly trying to free himself but seemingly afraid to unsettle him more. "I don't know what that has to do with anything. Now release me if you do not intend to fight me!"

Was he playing with him? How could he not understand! Vegeta, the lethal, handsome fighter his whole army both loathed and admired, the one that constantly received covetous looks he never once responded to, the target of lewd jokes he never seemed to find funny, the one who never accepted a proposition or an invite, never getting the point of either... The one who saw him looking and took it for what is was; the Emperor checking the progresses of a favourite ward. Freeza feels like crying at the realisation he was not the only one being defective. How had Vegeta overcome that? Did that loathsome woman he called a companion not laugh at him? Did she not mock him for his inability to be normal? For his not succeeding at first try? Because there was no doubt in his mind that Vegeta had not been perfect, there was no way he could have been.

An enraged cry distracts him from his musings and he turns to see Goku, healed and whole again, advancing threateningly, shouting at him to let Vegeta go. He recognises the look on his face, because people who are _normal_ always think about that, are always convinced he somewhat abused the Prince when he simply could NOT, even if... He stops. He thinks. He grins.

He looks down at Vegeta and smiles endearingly at him. Vegeta has no way to decipher the look and admittedly Freeza is not sure he is doing it right, but the Saiyan starts struggling and that is what counts. The Prince attempts to push up with his hips to break free and the Emperor is all too happy to push him down again, mildly enjoying the warmth and proximity. Goku is even more incensed and the blue-haired woman is screaming. Neither Freeza nor Vegeta hear them, too caught up in their own realisation. The Prince tries to speak but is immediately silenced by a chaste kiss on the lips. "You can deny all you like, they will not believe you, not after this", the Emperor playfully whispers, stealing another kiss. "For all they know, we did this regularly. And, for what it's worth, if I had to do it with anyone, it would probably be you. Not that I will, my dear, not that I will."

He throws the Prince one last smirk and lets him go, facing the Kamehameha flying in his direction. He did not accomplish his revenge and will be back in that hell of a place (literally), but at least he will finally be considered normal.

 **Thank you for reading! I welcome all feedback.**


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